juice and smoothie recipes

You may have stopped by our smoothie and juice workshop last month hosted by the lovely Tracey, our resident fruit and vegetable whisperer. Her wonderful creations all taste amazing and are genuinely good for you (a nutritionist said so!), so we thought it was only fair to share her recipes with all of you.

Tracey loves her smoothies and juices, and has a “can do” attitude when it comes to blending. She believes that any fruit and veg can be transformed into a tasty drink. Just grab your blender, raid your kitchen and you're ready to go.

things to know before getting started with your smoothie and juice making:

it's all about the veg - a healthier smoothie will contain fresh vegetables (more nutrients and less sugar than fruit)

the older or more processed fruit and vegetables are, the more nutrients they lose. Opt for fresh ingredients for maximum nutrient benefit

frozen fruits and vegetables retain their nutrients almost as well as their fresh counterparts, provided they are quick-frozen. While you should aim to use fresh fruit where possible, it may also be useful to pick up a couple of punnets of ready-frozen fruit from your local supermarket. That way you will have easy access to smoothie ingredients to hand in your freezer and get a thicker smoothie blend

mix and match to your taste. Any fruit or veg can go into your smoothie! It really is trial and error until you get the perfect combination. Keep practicing until you find your perfect blend!

getting down to the making

When you make a smoothie or a juice, you will need to start off with a liquid base to help aid the blending process. You may choose fresh apple juice, coconut water, milk, yogurt or similar! Each of these bases heavily influence the smoothie or juice. While we have given suggestions below with our favourite combinations, go wild and change up the bases if you fancy a change. (You may like to know: apple juice creates a sweet base, keeping the overall flavour juicy and can easily hide the taste of those vegetables you have added to your healthy smoothie – it's also better to opt for cold pressed apple juice over concentrate; coconut water brings out the flavours that are already present in your blend and can work well with both fruit and veg; milk, or a milk alternative, creates a thicker consistency and mixes better with less watery ingredients, such as bananas and kale).

Armed with our top tips, you're ready to start making. To give you a couple of examples of great tasting combinations, check out our simple recipes below.

*the smoothies and juices marked with an asterisk below can be purchased in our café!

the protein shakes

the smoothies

day dream*: - half a cup of strawberries- a small banana- milk or milk alternative

beach party: - a few cubes of pineapple- half a cup of strawberries and mixed berries- apple juice

the green one: - a handful of spinach- a handful of kale- milk or milk alternative

power booster*: - a spoon of whey protein- a spoon of peanut butter- a banana- milk or milk alternative

summer breeze*: - a good few strawberries- handful of chopped mango- apple juice